Legacies of eugenics: confronting the past, forging a future

Abstract

The anti-eugenic commemoration of the Second International Congress of Eugenics, held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York between 22 and 28 September 1921, was unprecedented in terms of its global reach and the number of individuals and organizations involved. Meetings, conferences, seminars, exhibitions, and symposia were convened throughout 2021–22 to review how assumptions and attitudes rooted in eugenics continue to affect the world in ways both obvious and hidden. What are the lessons learnt for the future? This article reflects on the importance of these events in the fostering of an international awareness about the legacies of eugenics in the present.